Bound
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Max and Fang are captured and tortured for years. Whatever happened to the flock? Can they save them? Torture story, but not heavily so. Sexual stuff too. You know, all the fun stuff. Fang X Max.
1. Chapter 1

**I wrote this a few months ago with the intention of posting it, but then I got busy with other things. I forgot about it, but found it the other day. I kind of like it. **

Bound

Chapter 1

Sometimes he pulls just to be sure that he's still chained to the wall. As if something had changed since the last time he had done it. Nothing. Just like always. He knew though, that in a few hours, he'd try again.

Glancing across the room, he saw that Max was still sleeping. Fang spit on the ground and stared at it until he heard her stir sometime later. Her breathing had gotten worse recently. He heard someone say that she had a chest infection. He wasn't sure how serious that was, but assumed that it wouldn't get any better in this dank cell they had them in.

"M…" he trailed off, trying to get his voice to work. "Max?"

She shifted slightly, but he couldn't be sure if she responded. He had gotten hard of hearing as of recent. Max wasn't as chained down as Fang, not anymore. She was too weak to be much of a threat. Also, they didn't want her as badly damaged as him. He was just a 'reward' for whoever was the top scientist of the week. They got him to test out any of their new experiments.

"Okay?" He whispered again after a few minutes. Whereas he had his arms chained to the wall, Max was chained to the floor, like a dog. She could move around still. Sitting up took a lot out of her typically, so he was shocked when she did so.

He saw her mouth move, but couldn't hear what she said, if she said anything. Over the years, he had gotten pretty good at lip reading. Water. Max wanted water. It almost made him laugh.

"You know as well as I do there's none of that."

Max stayed sitting up for a few more moments before laying back down. She went to sleep, he figured. Again, Fang pulled against the wall, but he was only met with an everlasting resistance. Breathing deeply for awhile, he tried to clear his throat of any mucus before screaming.

"Hey! Water! Can she get some fucking water?"

Nothing. He wasn't expecting much. Really, he was just putting on a show for Max, as if he still had any control. Ha.

Watching her mouth, Fang saw her whisper thank you. So she wasn't asleep. Or maybe he had woken her up with his yelling. Either way, at least his goal had been accomplished, kind of.

* * *

Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom.

"Tom, huh?" Fang snorted as the guy came in with a key. The guy seemed shocked that Fang knew his name before looking down and realizing he wore a nametag. All the new recruits did. "Thomas? Bet that's your real name. Is it what your mommy calls you?"

"Shut the fuck up, trash," he said, coming closer to Fang. The second he was in the vicinity of the bound man, he got a kick to the balls.

"Don't teach you that, do they?" Fang laughed as the man fell back with pain. "Don't chain my feet anymore. Should've noticed that. You won't last a week."

"Still putting up a fight?"

Fang looked towards the doorway and saw Belinda walk in. How he hated that woman. He just sneered at her.

"I get the newbies now? Ain't even worth your time?"

Ignoring him, the woman went over to Max's sleeping form. She looked at the empty pan next to her before the one next to Fang. He saw this and got angry again.

"You haven't given us water or any food. She's going to die."

"No, she's not." Writing something down, the woman turned to Tom. "Refill their dishes before you take him to the bio-lab." Before walking to the door, she turned and looked at Fang. "No more resistance. It's futile."

"And?"

Lifting up her foot, Belinda dropped it on Max's arm, making her scream, rolling away. Belinda looked back at Fang with the same flat face she always had.

"We all make choices. They affect others. You know this."

"Traitor," he screamed, pulling against his chains. But, just like resisting, it was futile. Tom left, taking their pans with him.

"Why?"

Fang glanced at Max. "What?"

"Why?"

"I didn't know that she would do that to you."

"Always does." She curled up, holding her arm to her. "Never."

"Never what?"

"I never do that to you."

"Yeah, well, that's you. This is me." He stopped struggling, now just hanging there. "You'll get your damn water now. Soon as that boy gets back."

He got no response, but he knew that she wasn't sleeping. Sighing a little, he waited for Tom to return. When he finally did, Fang had been dozing a little and was only awoke when he felt his wrists get freed. He tried to take action and lunge like usual, but his feet got in the way and he fell. Quickly, his hands were rebound, though this time he was not chained to the wall. Rookie mistake.

Glancing over at Max, he saw that she was laying down next to her pan of water, using one cupped hand to bring water to her face. Her eyes though were staring at him. She noticed the same mistake he had. She sat up to watch Fang's attack on Tom, but didn't move to aide him in the slightest.

Fang jerked away from Tom before bringing his cuffed hands up, leveling them with the other man's head. Swinging slightly, Fang rammed them into the side of Tom's head, making the other man fall.

The key. The key. Where was the-

"Once again, you bring me to do the unnecessary."

Wincing as he was suddenly flung back against the stone wall, Fang looked up into the face of his attacker. It was one of Belinda's lackeys. The bigger man forced Fang onto the ground, making sure that he was facing Max.

Belinda, the one who had spoke, walked into the room. "You didn't really think that I would let that fool come in here without following him, did you? Honestly, XK429, you've become so….so…thoughtless. I came with him the first time, did I not?"

"Fang! My name's Fang!"

Max scurried back as Belinda approached her, trying to make herself as small as possible against the wall. She really had no other way to defend herself these days. She was so…weak. As if she didn't care about getting out anymore. She never even tried. It disgusted Fang.

"Just leave her alone! What did she fucking do?"

Bending down, Belinda got into Max's face. Fang tried to concentrate on the other woman's ass, if only to distract him from the slap Max got. Tried to ignore the way that Max just took that. Besides, Belinda wasn't that horrible looking.

Saying nothing, Max just laid back down, hoping that the woman would leave her alone. Once again, she got stepped on, this time in the stomach. Fang tried to pull away from the heavy man that was holding him down, but it was useless. Most of life was, really.

"Let him up," Belinda said, standing.

"He'll try to-" Tom started, but she cut him off.

"No, he won't." She knew this as a fact. What could he do? Anything he tried would only lead to failure and Max being injured. "Uncuff him, James."

The man did so, but still held him down until his boss was out of the room. Tom tried to take a swipe at Fang, but James hauled him out of the room.

"Floor until I leave," the lackey warned. The second the door was shut behind all of them, Fang rushed over to Max, gathering her into his arms.

"Are you okay? Huh?"

She pushed away from him. "You hurt me."

"I don't, Max! They do. They did that. _She_ did that." He finally laid her back down on the ground. Grabbing her pan, he held it up to her mouth, making her drink a little. "There. You're okay."

She had a huge coughing fit after that and Fang had to give her half of his water ration, but they agreed to save the rest for later, just in case they weren't watered again.

Fang was so thirsty as they laid down on the ground, next to each other for once. Belinda randomly did this to him, allowed him to freely roam the small cell. He didn't understand what purpose it served, really, but figured it was another one of her mind games that she would play with him. Regardless, Fang always took it as an opportunity to cuddle with Max. Maybe more, but not this time. She clearly wasn't up for it.

Fang forced her to let him lift up her shirt and let him see the bruise that Belinda had left. It was hard to distinguish between all the others that she had. Kissing her stomach, Fang put her shirt back down before just holding her. As disgusted as he was with her, he knew that she too was disgusted with him. Turned out that they only had ten minutes anyways.

"Are you ready now?"

No. He wanted to say that, but instead just stood and walked towards the blinding light that the doorway gave off. Belinda's shadow fell over the room, making Max back away, her fingers slipping out of Fang's as he walked away.

"You've shit yourself," Belinda mused as Fang was handcuffed again, this time behind his back.

"That happens when you're chained to a wall for two weeks."

"Showers first, James," she said, walking slightly behind the pair as James led Fang down the vast hallways. "I'm sure she has too."

"Probably."

"I would figure you would know, the way you were pressed against her."

"Don't really tell these days," he said, trying to remind cordial, if only to spare Max the punishment later. "Smells gone, it would seem."

"Yes, it would." She turned off at a hallway, but they kept on. James took him into the showers, undoing his cuffs to allow him to strips himself of his tattered rags that he wore. Looking at them for a second, James told Fang to get in the shower at the right before turning to the guard at the entrance of the room and telling him they would need more clothes. Fang couldn't put those back on. He also ordered a shower for Max, which Fang would have thought was a nice gesture, had he not known that she would no doubt be raped while in there.

Fang's shower was quick and when it was done, he was immediately recuffed and led to the bio-lab. Belinda was there with another scientist, both chatting nonchalantly, as it they both worked for a law firm.

"Cleaned up, I can assume?" Belinda smiled at Fang as he was forcibly strapped down to a table by James. After that, the man went over to the woman Belinda had been talking to and kissed her. So James finally had someone. Good for him. Fang closed his eyes, not wanting to stare at the ceiling.

When he felt a hand on stomach, Fang opened his eyes to find Belinda's brown hair in his face. She was bent over him, running her hand down his chest. Fang twisted a little as she came to his crotch. She smiled at him before squeezing him. He had been expecting this, but none the less let out a breathy gasp.

"S-Stop," he mumbled, but did he really want her to? He wasn't sure. None the less, he tried to get away from her, but she continued to toy with him.

"You treat all of your experiments this way?" The other woman asked as James left the room, clearly not wanting to be present for this.

"Just the ones I like," Belinda said, smiling at Fang again. He didn't look at her though as she played with him. It didn't last long.

Next, Fang got to be injected with a few things. He wasn't sure which he liked more. Finally, one of the injections caused him to pass out, which Fang was thankful for. When he woke up, he was chained again, to his wall.

"She tells me everything she does to you."

Max was clearly feeling better. Fang glanced at over to her usual spot, but was shocked to find that she wasn't chained. Instead, she was sitting next to him, clearly showered and smelling alright again. Maybe it wasn't that his smelling was gone as much as his mind was kind enough to pick out what he was allowed to smell and what he wasn't. How nice.

"You look better."

Max nodded. "I was fed. I always am, with Hector."

Fang pulled against his chains. Hector ranked slightly higher than Belinda and thoroughly enjoyed his power as much as her. He enjoyed sexually abusing Max, but unlike with Fang, she got paid for what she suffered through with food. Well, she suffered. Part of Fang sickly took pleasure what he was given, though he couldn't understand why. He figured it wasn't so much that he enjoyed it as it was just his body reacting to what was done to him.

"I kept some for you."

"I'm not hungry."

Max made him eat before laying down on the ground in front of him. "Belinda was here."

"You said before. That she told you something."

"Yes." Max closed her eyes. "They didn't chain me."

"How thoughtful."

"She said she didn't so that I could pleasure you. She enjoys the thought of it, she said."

"Lift up my shirt, Max," he said, ignoring her previous statement. "See if I'm bleeding."

"You are," she informed him, though she didn't move from her spot on the ground. "She said that they slit you. They're going to let your wounds get infected so that they can test out some new fluid they have."

She had another coughing fit before Fang just left her alone. He shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable, but it was useless. He had no way to the know the time for certain, but it was around an hour later that someone came in. It was one of the random workers that Fang didn't know. They rose Max before leading her away. Fang went to sleep after that.

* * *

It felt like a sudden thing, but he had no sense of time to know, his hands being freed. Frowning, he flung his eyes open to see someone exiting before Max was on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Wh-"

She kissed him before pulling him down. Fang winced as his arms began to move for the first time in he wasn't sure how long. Max couldn't have been gone that long, could she?

"What's wrong?" He asked as she pulled away from him.

"They want us to."

"They?"

She nodded before pulling off his shirt. "Now, Fang."

Not wanting to argue with her, and honestly needing this himself, Fang pushed her back down on the ground and went for her shirt. Max gasped a little as he lifted it off. He had hurt her somehow. Frowning, he checked to see why.

"What the fuck did they do to you?"

Max sat up on her elbows, staring into his eyes. "He burned me, that's all. It's not that bad."

"And bit you," Fang mumbled, leaning closer to inspect. "He fucking bit you."

"Yeah."

It made Fang sick, looking at her stomach. Pushing away from her, he looked up at the ceiling. He had no clue where the camera was in the holding cell, but knew that one existed.

"I'm not doing it. You're fucking disgusting!"

"Fang-"

"No, Max." He glanced at her. "I'm not. Let them chain me back up, torture me, whatever, but I'm not. I'm done with their sick games."

Max took in a breath as she sat all the way up and Fang knew that she was in pain. "You don't want to have sex with me."

"No," he admitted. "I don't."

He watched as she crawled away from him. Sighing, he grabbed his pan of water and followed her.

"What-"

"Shhh. They're going to come back and chain me soon. Let me take care of your wounds."

Max laid back down on the ground and Fang did the best he could for her. He took off his shirt and ripped it up, wrapping some cuts that she had on her arms before taking the remaining strips and wrapping them around his sides.

"They'll probably make me takes this off," Fang mumbled to Max as he poured the last bit of water on her stomach, wanting to disinfect the wounds as much as he could with what little they had. Then he tried to kiss her head, but Max resisted. "What?"

"I disgust you."

"Sometimes. I do you too."

She shook her head. "No."

"You're weak. Sleep."

"He'll be angry. We didn't listen to him. He's going to-"

"Sleep, Max." He pushed her hair out of her face. "Just sleep. There's nothing more to be said or done."

* * *

"You look so much better without all this hair, XK429."

He bit his tongue as his head was shaved, not wanting the razor used for anything else that day. He couldn't help but let out a yelp when it cut over a healing sore on his head, making Belinda squeal with pleasure. Luckily for him, she wasn't the one doing the shaving.

"I'm going to need you to shave down their too, George," she told the man as he moved onto the other side of Fang's head.

"Huh?"

"You know."

The man shook his head. "You're on your own with manscaping, Belinda."

"All the better, eh?" She smiled at Fang, but he just shut his eyes again.

It was about a week later and Max was nowhere to be found. This happened randomly, so Fang wasn't too worried. If something was really wrong with her, he was sure that Belinda would take great pleasure in telling him immediately. He had heard her mention that they were moving buildings, which probably had to do with Max's disappearance. Maybe she was already there. Maybe. He refused to bring it up to Belinda or any other guard, for fear of punishment towards him or Max. He'd just have to wait and see.

Belinda took her time shaving Fang, and other things, before taking him to the gym like room in the building for strength testing. After that, she led him back to his room, which was still Max-less. He sighed a little as she chained him.

"What? Disappointed that I'm leaving you?"

"Hardly," he commented dryly.

"Miss your little birdy friend then, I can guess?"

Fang just snorted. She looked like she was going to tell him something when her cell phone went off. She locked his chains before leaving.

It wasn't so bad without Max. Just different. It was easier to sleep, if only because he wasn't roused by her coughing fits every few minutes. And her raspy breathing being gone wasn't that bad either. Her being there was just a comfort thing really. They had been together constantly the past few years, locked up in chains with only each other. Her absence was like that of a night light to a child. You don't really need it, but once it's gone, you still have that nagging fear that the monsters will come get you. Fang had learned, though, that here, the monsters get you with your safety blanket or without.


	2. Chapter 2

Bound

Chapter 2

He had to be moved. Everyone did. They were changing buildings, after all. Anyways, Fang was not happy about it. Awhile had passed now, if he had to guess, two weeks, and he had still not seen Max. Belinda had told him that they were burning the old building to the ground, as was customary.

Any of the experiments that weren't worthy would die with it.

Fang still remembered when he and Max first got caught. It was actually to free Angel, who, like always, had been captured, this time along with Nudge. They got Angel out, but never found Nudge. They were flying away from the compound when Max got shot in her right wing by a sniper. As Fang already had Angel, who was passed out, in his arms, he could not carry Max and she went down.

After getting Angel back to Iggy and the Gasman, Fang went back for Max, only to be captured himself. They were quickly transferred to another building, never even getting any information on Nudge. Oh, sure, there were attempts to escape, but the two of them were slowly being wasted away. Starved, beaten, and raped, Max was in no condition half the time to help him. At first he pitied her for it, but now, Fang found himself hating her.

He was stuck in a cage for the whole ride, which was probably two days long. The other experiments that he got stuck with in the back of the moving van whined and moaned the whole way. There were ten of them, all in their own cages, having to deal with the stench of each other. None of the others seemed human, though he had no proof that they were never that way, and Fang just prayed that Max was safe wherever she was.

He soon found out.

The first place he went inside the new building was the decontamination ward. Seven of the ten experiments he had been housed with in that truck didn't make it. Fang was able to deal though and was quickly moved to his room. Max was there, of course, but so were others.

It was a long room, where he was chained to the floor by his hands, but not his feet. Max was two people down from him, sleeping from what he could see. As his legs hadn't been chained, Fang stood up as soon as the room was dark and made his way over.

"Max?"

His chain barely reached, but if Max would come closer, it'd be fine. She didn't hear him though, so he called out for her again, which got him grumbles from around the room. Ignoring them, he kicked out his foot a little, hitting her in the side.

"Mmm?"

"It's me. I'm here too."

Max sat up slightly, opening her eyes. Fang saw that they were bloodshot for some reason, making him frown.

"Fang?"

"Yeah. Me." He sat down where he was, not even caring it was disturbing the person next to Max. From what he could tell, it wasn't a person at all, but some sort of hairy beast that, from the looks of it, was dead. Max crawled on her hands and knees closer until she was right next to him.

"Hector had me," Max mumbled, laying on the ground in front of him. "You?"

"I stayed behind for a few days. What is this place?"

"Holding cell for now. Hector said he'll get us our own room again soon."

Fang couldn't tell if she meant the two of them or her and Hector, but he didn't want to ask. His sides, which were now infected as of last week, burned. Reaching out, he stroked Max's face while she rested, trying to ignore his pain.

* * *

Fang was taken from Max not soon after that. Some man he didn't know spent two days messing with the slits down his sides, but Fang was sedated half the time. The guy had sliced down his chest though, making a new wound also. Fang, in his half out of it state, watched it bleed out while being unable to feel anything. He could smell it the amount of blood in the air, but recently he had found some sort of enjoyment out of it.

When he was done with Fang, the man had one of the guards lead him to a different room than they had originally been held in. Now, he was taken to a smaller room, with only Max in it. It didn't seem much different than the one at the last building other than the fact that his chains weren't as far off the ground. Max was still chained to the floor, but she didn't even look up when Fang came in. He figured that she was sleeping.

Once he was chained and the guard was gone, Fang finally started to look around his new place. It was slightly warmer here, which was nice. Also, Max had two bowls next to her, as he did near his feet. Apparently they would be getting food and water here.

Max woke up at some point, coughing loudly. She was giving him a headache. In her defense though, Fang's head typically was pounding anyways.

"You okay over there?"

Max made some sort of noise or maybe it was a word, Fang couldn't hear to be sure.

"Can you move closer to me? Please?"

"Why?" Max managed. "Can't Belinda give you your weekly blow?"

So Max was well enough to throw down? Fine, so was Fang. "I've just heard how good you are at them recently. Now get over here."

Max slowly came closer, waiting for direction. From him. When did Fang get to be leader? He was stronger these days, which probably had a lot to do with it.

"My throat's killing me," he told her, nodding at the bowl at his feet. "Does one of those have water in it? I can't tell."

"Yeah. Here." Max got on her knees, straining against her chain to reached his mouth. She missed and spit half of the water down his bare chest, but eventually did get it right. The water really just left him even more thirsty, but Fang mumbled a thank you before letting Max go back to sleep.

She liked that, sleeping. He figured that she must have pretty damn good dreams. Then again, anything was better than this. And what was this but a half existence, if even that? Sometimes he wished that they would screw up and kill him, if only to end it. Belinda would never allow for that though, oh no. Fang was supposed to be passed around between other scientists, but somehow he always ended up with her.

Max mumbled sometimes in her sleep. Fang would hear the names of the family they once had, from Iggy to Total, all apparently entertaining her thoughts. Fang couldn't dream like that. He wouldn't let himself. He _couldn't_ let himself. To know that he could never have that again was devastating to him. True, they had never had much, but they had something. Now he'd never even see them again.

Fang pulled against his chains, figuring now would be as good a time as any to start his habit. Max sat up at the noise before opening her wings. They were caked with blood and dirt. Fang frowned, seeing this. Normally when she was with Hector, she was treated well. Max saw his look and retracted her wings. No words were spoken on the subject, which each was fine with for their own reasons. She laid down and fell asleep again.

Max was snoring for once instead of gasping in her sleep, which was nice. Fang tried to find his own slumber, but it, like his voice, seemed to be lost. It was really unfortunate given that his sleep was the only way to get over the pain his arms were in. It had been so long since his muscles were strained like this that they were crying out for him to just end their suffering.

Then he heard something

Blinking, Fang realized that it was Max. He glanced over at her to see that she was saying something softly. Straining to hear while also trying to read her lips he realized that she was telling him that his sides looked bad. Fang shook his head.

"It's because the doctor messed with them." Fang cleared his throat before spitting on the ground. Max didn't seem to mind. "Max, my balls itch real bad."

She got up again, crawling over to him. She didn't even consider that he was just trying to get a feel because, really, it didn't matter either way. Getting onto her knees so that she could reach his belt, she started to undress him.

"When'd you get a belt?" Max said after clearing her throat of mucus.

"Today when they dressed me, I guess. I was drugged pretty bad."

Max ignored him as she took off his boxers. That was a new addition too. Probably curtsey of his stupid girlfriend, Belinda. She rolled her eyes, staring at his penis for a moment. Fang shifted under her stare.

"Do something."

So she did. She sighed. Then, after a moment, she reached out and took him into her hand, trying to stiffen him up. Fang jutted one of his knees out, struggling against his bonds. Max leaned up, her chains hold her back, trying to kiss his stomach. It was a ghost of a kiss, but Fang kicked against the wall, trying to press his body against her lips. He did so too hard, causing him to fall back into the wall. Not before hitting Max in the face though.

"Damn it," he mumbled as she let him go, falling back on her butt. For a moment they just stared at each other. Finally, Fang said, "Come back."

Slowly, Max did so, getting back on her haunches while taking him into her hand once more. This time Fang made sure to sit still, not wanting to disturb her from her concentration. With her other hand, Max grasped his sack, squeezing slightly.

"Like that?"

"Mmmm."

Max was jerking him slowly, but Fang didn't tell her to do any more. Number one, he should be thankful for what she was willing to give. Number two, his balls really had itched and this was a lot better than trying to scratch them himself.

Closing his eyes, Fang listened as Max breathed out gently, loving the feeling on his skin. This time when she leaned forward slightly, it was on accident and Fang didn't act on it. Instead he just turned his head to the side, opening his eyes to stare at the door. How had he lucked out, Max's chain reaching so far in this room?

The room itself wasn't much of a room, but it was okay. Dark, cement, and bare, it was a cell more than anything. All sounds seemed to echo in there, from the sounds of Max's coughs to their chains rattling in the dead of night, it never seemed like a place you wanted to be. Well, right now grunts could be heard, but Fang would rather those be in a bedroom than here. Still, getting jerked by Max was way better than Belinda, if only because Fang didn't feel so guilty about the pleasure.

"Max," he whispered as she continued her slow and steady pace. It paid off for Fang as he finished in her hand. Max watched with a dissatisfied look as his cum oozed out. It honestly wasn't a turn on at all. After she was done, Max cleaned him off with his jeans, which really, the fabric was turn on, before dressing him to the best of her ability. Then, exhausted, she laid down. Fang couldn't do anything for her all chained up, but it wasn't like she got much pleasure from anything these days.

Fang felt a little bit better, enough so that he could sleep at least. When he woke up, Max was gone. He did his normal pull against the chains, but it did no good, as usual. One day, when he did break free of his chains, he'd die of shock.

When Max came back, she had her wings out, clearly having been washed recently. He could tell from the look on her face who they were washed by. The guard undid Fang's chains and left Max out of hers before leaving. Then they were just staring at each other.

"He saw what I did for you, on the camera. He wants us to have sex."

Fang started to rub his wrists, trying to drawl the blood to them. Max sat down, staring at him as he came to sit in front of her. Reaching out slowly, she touched the cut on his chest, watching for him to wince. She liked causing him pain sometimes. It was only fair, given the fact that he did the same to her with his resistance of orders. Max wondered sometimes if it just turned him on, watching Belinda beat her.

"How?"

"He didn'st say."

Fang let out a slow breath before moving to unbutton Max's shirt. "New clothes?"

"Okay, Mr. Belt."

Fang kissed her head. "Pull in your wings."

After Max did so, Fang laid her shirt down on the ground before pushing her onto it. Max wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes a little.

"Sensitive," she mumbled in his ear as he put his hand down her pants. "Please don't."

"Then what, Max?"

"Just enough to make him happy."

Fang pulled off her shorts and underwear before starting on his own. "Nice bra."

"Nice boxers."

He stared at her for a second. "He feed you?"

"Enough."

"None for me?"

"Ask Belinda."

Sometimes Fang longed for the days when Max wasn't lucid. She threw so much in his face when she was, as if this was his fault. If only he hadn't gone back for her-

"Does it hurt?" Max pressed a hand gently against his side. Fang shrugged, refusing to tell her. She was becoming something of a sadist these days, but he was far from being masochistic. Moving to get out of his boxers, Fang made Max lay fully down on the ground.

"You want me or not?" Fang kept his hands on her waist, rubbing his hips against hers. "You're dry."

"I don't."

He kissed her neck, settling for humping her. Getting off again so soon made Fang's time short. When he was done, he just leaned against her for awhile, closing his eyes. This Max started coughing and he rolled off her.

"You came on my shirt."

Fang ignored her as he dressed himself. Then he wiped her shirt the best he could on the ground before slipping it back around her, leaving her to button it up herself. She didn't. Instead, Max curled up near her chain to go to sleep while Fang took to leaning against his wall.

Even when they weren't bound physically, they still were mentally.

* * *

Hector was a cold, cold man. Fang didn't have a lot of run-ins with him, but when he did, he felt the old him coming to life. This…man was the one that was hurting his Max? That was having sex with his Max? That was taking what was his? The pain inside swelled into anger. It wasn't good to have anger around Hector.

He liked to torture Fang. It was probably a jealousy thing. After all, Fang was the name Max called out. That meant something to a man. It meant a lot.

Fang took in a breath as the shocks stopped. Currently, he was undergoing shock therapy, minus the therapy, double the shock.

"You know, XK429, you've taken today really well. Maybe it's the _present_ that Max gave you yesterday."

Hector always referred to Max by her name. Many people thought that he was too close to her. Fang was sure that if Max ever gave the word, Hector wouldn't even make her come back to that cell with him. He'd probably take her out of this place and make her his little slave in the real world, if she wanted. She didn't though. She'd take torture for Fang. That's the only way to prove love these days.

Fang felt sick after his shock treatment and was slightly glad when they took him back to his cell. Hector went with him and his guards, no doubt to see Max. She was chained again, sleeping when they got there. Hector smiled, seeing that.

"She tell you what we did, XK429? After a good bath to clean up her wings?" Hector went over to Max's chains, setting her free. Max groaned a little as Hector pushed her with his foot slightly. "You were spoken to, XK429."

"No," Fang managed as he was hung by his arms again.

"Tell him, Max. Tell him about how I fucked your ass and then ate you out. Tell him how good I take care of you."

Max rolled onto her back, just staring at him. Smiling down at her, Hector reached down and picked her up in his arms. She never had to answer. Max did no wrong around here.

"We have some new tests to run on you, Max," Hector told her as she laid limply in his arms, refusing to curl against him. "Won't you like that? Oh, and guard? Unchain him. He's in unimaginable pain."

The guard did so, causing Fang to slide down the wall. Then he just sat there, jarred by how silent it sounded. For about five days, Max didn't come back. Fang would get his small portions of food and water, but nothing more. Just stuck in his cell, Fang had to wonder what they were planning for him.

They must have been drugging his food. Having planned to attack the next person to come in, he was shocked as all he could do was watch as Max was drug in by two guards. They were young. Fang would have been able to take them, he'd like to think.

"Don't," the older one said as they other tried to chain Max. "Hector said she was hurt. Let her heal a little. Look at her. She can't do shit."

"She was their prize, you know. Maximum Ride." The guard spit on her, but Fang couldn't stop it. He was too drugged. Laughing, the oldest guard got down on his knees while unzipping his pants.

"Let's see why they really call her that."

Fang tried to move, he really did. They must have given something to paralyze him. That could only mean they were planning to experiment on him big time soon. So he just had to sit there, watching as Max got raped. It was nothing new to the two of them.

"Bite down and I'll beat the shit out of you."

Max turned her head as one of the guards attempted to shove their dick in her mouth. She clearly wasn't up for sex. After all, she just got back from Hector. She probably wanted to sleep.

Her resistance just got her tossed around a little. Fang smiled in spite of himself. Fools. Hector would review the tapes and have their heads. Sex with Max was one thing, hurting her was a complete other.

"Stupid whore." They both left without getting any type of gratification. Once they were gone, Max crawled slowly over to Fang. When she got to him, she just stared before laying down next to him. Fang let his breath out slowly, wishing that Max would touch him. Maybe that would bring him out of his trance.

She was talking now. Glancing down at her, Fang read her lips and heard enough to piece together that she wanted him to hold her. Fang tried to convey to her that he couldn't, that he couldn't move, but it wouldn't work. Max thought that he didn't want her.

And he didn't, did he? Fang wished that she would go back over to her side of the room and just leave him alone. If she were the old her, this wouldn't be a problem. Now she was all needy and stuff. It was disgusting.

After about two hours, Fang regained his motion. He wondered why they drugged him at all as he moved down to the ground, laying next to Max. She was mumbling something under her breath, but Fang was too tired to listen. Reaching over, he laid a hand on her side, wanting her to shut up and sleep.

Sleep. That's what Fang needed. Closing his eyes, he got some well deserved sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Bound

Chapter 3

Max was getting worse. Hector, as always, knew everything, so he arranged for her to be kept in his quarters. Fang spent at least two weeks alone, in which hardly anyone saw him. The only upside was that he didn't have to be chained, but this was only because they were drugging him. He had figured out now that they were doing this as a test of some sort, trying to seem what dosage does what to his body.

Most of his day was spent sleeping, the rest spent relieving himself or eating. They weren't experimenting on him in the technical sense, though they were pushing his mental limits. Was Max okay? He sure hoped so. Sure, he hated her these days, but he still loved her. If that made sense. He had a feeling it didn't.

When Fang slept now, it was fitful. He was going on a full three weeks without contact with anyone other than the guys that would come in to change his water and give him food. It was horrible. Of course, it wasn't the first time that this had happened, but each time seemed to push him further and further. How much more could he take? How much more could they give him? It felt like Fang had suffered through it all.

"I'll bet you thought that I forgot about you."

Fang blinked as the cell door was opened. He wanted to say that he wasn't happy to see Belinda, but that would be a lie. Fang would have been happy to see Satan at that point. Well, that's ignoring the fact that Belinda very well could be the incarnation of the devil himself. Or would it then be herself? Hmmm…

Belinda closed the door behind her before pulling her shirt over her head. Fang had seen it all before and just rolled onto his stomach, not wanting to see her.

"You know you want this, Fang. Roll over for me."

Fang had heard the guards talking before. Apparently, Belinda always chose one male experiment, typically the one that looked most human, to use for her pleasure. Fang tried to ignore the fact that eventually, she got tired of the chase and just killed whoever it was. Most guards around here were pretty gossipy, which let Fang hear the dilemma that had arisen. Last year, Belinda wanted to kill him. She was going to, but Hector wouldn't allow it. True, Hector hated Fang, but he also knew that Max really would give up with him gone.

Fang glanced behind him and saw that Belinda was going to take off all her clothes apparently. Fang had to admit, compared to Max's body, which was now covered in wounds and boney to the point of pain, Belinda was pretty damn hot. Then he remembered the pure hatred he had for her. And knowing that he was still Max kept him down….mostly.

He wasn't regarded with a moral situation as the door flung open. Max was in Hector's arms, sleeping. He just looked between Belinda and Fang before shaking his head.

"Out," he told her simply.

"But-"

"Out. Now. And don't think there won't be a report about this. Did you not think I would look at the cameras later?"

Belinda made a face, now hurriedly getting dressed again. "And what about what you do to her?"

"I don't know what you speak of." Hector came closer to Fang, but he was frozen. Seeing Hector and Belinda at the same time was screwing with his mind. The other, slightly older man, laid Max down next to him.

"There you go, Max," he whispered to her, which woke her up. She peeked her eyes open to find Hector in her face. She closed them again, yawning. "You need anything?"

"Fang."

"Turn. I have brought you to him."

"Mmm. Food."

"You're hungry? For what?" Hector smiled, getting down on his knees next to her. Fang stayed on his stomach, sneaking peeks, but not wanting it to be known. Belinda was now dressed again, but was listening intently to what was being said.

For a minute, all three of them just sat there, waiting to hear what Max would say. Fang was afraid that she had fallen back asleep, which wasn't uncommon when having a conversation with Max, but then she spoke.

"Food."

Neither Fang nor Belinda smiled at this, but Hector did. He kissed Max's lips.

"Was that a joke? Huh?"

"Mmmm."

"Here now, I'll go get you food myself. You'd like that, huh? For now you two can just stay here, alone together."

With that, the other man stood up. Now back in his attack mood, he ordered Belinda out of the room before following. When it was just them again, Fang moved closer to Max a little, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"Jokes?" He whispered. "You're funny now?"

"I'm getting the food for you," or at least that's what he got from reading her lips. He couldn't tell if this was the fault of his horrible hearing or the fact that Max was too weak to speak.

"Thank you," he said, but he could hear the contempt in his own voice. Max yawned again.

"I'm cold."

Fang rolled away from her. "Yeah. Me too."

When Hector came back, he had a tray of food, which he slipped off into Max's bowl. Getting down on his knees again, he asked, "Is there anything that you need now, Max?"

"Cold."

Hector wasn't dressed in his scientist gear, but his street clothes. He was clearly about to leave for the night. Or day. Whatever. Fang watched from his safe distance as he took off his jacket and laid it over Max, wrapping her up in it.

"All better?" He checked the pockets of it for anything she and Fang couldn't have before giving her a kiss on the head and standing. "I have to go now. I'll have your water refreshed in an hour. And I won't be here for a few days, but everyone knows that I have a constant watch on you."

He laughed at this for some reason. Fang didn't get the joke, but then again, apparently Max was a comedian these days.

"When I come back, I'll take good care of you. And just remember, when you're missing the way I fuck you, I offered you a chance to go."

With that, he was gone. Fang laid there for a minute before getting to his feet. He went over to Max's bowl before taking it over to her. Sitting down, he held a piece of bread to her lips.

"Eat."

"No."

Fang shrugged. Whatever. He was so done with Max. For a few minutes, all was silent. Then he asked, "What was that all about?"

"What?" She turned to face him so he could see her lips. How thoughtful. Again, Fang held up a piece of bread and this time, Max ate some.

"Him. He said he was leaving and you wouldn't go."

Max nodded a little. "To California."

"Max, you should have gone." Fang stared at her. "You could have gotten away."

"And leave you?" She closed her eyes, not wanting to look at his.

"I need you out of here." If this was five years ago, that would have sounded like Fang wanted her gone for her own safety. Max knew though. Oh, she knew. She was only holding him back now. If she was gone, safe or dead, Fang would have a better chance of getting out himself.

"I…On the way to the new building, he…" She was speaking too fast. Fang couldn't read lips that well. She saw his face and started again, slower and with more common words. "On the way to the new building, he drove me in his car. I was chained in the passenger seat. Chained. He put his cigarettes out on me. I don't want to go in his car again. There's no way out anyways. We'll die here, Fang."

He swallowed the bread in his mouth, still just staring, waiting for more. Then he realized that Max was sleeping again. He shook his head before finishing his food.

* * *

Belinda was supposed to help them. They first met her about a year after they got captured. Max's persona was fading then, but she was still spunky and the leader. Fang trusted her. He would have followed her to the end of the earth. Now, here they were in the end of their world and Max wasn't good for shit. Well, nonsexual shit.

Back then though, she still thought they were going to get out. She still fought back against her rapists. This was even before Hector took notice of her, so this was still very much Fang's Max. He still fought anyone. Every guard. He had bullet wounds to prove it. Then Belinda showed up.

She said that she was a double agent of sorts. That she had been sent by Jeb to free them. Immediately, Jeb's name scared Max, which didn't shock Fang. Her and her father drama never seemed like it would die. Max didn't trust her, but Fang did. Oh, he did. He was still only a boy then. A hot woman wanted to help them? Heck yes! Then Belinda had to go and break that trust.

Back then, Fang wasn't chained to the wall, but the ground like Max. That would later be changed to the wall by feet and hands, but that's another story. There he was, chained to the ground, when Belinda came in. It was just the three of them and Max hurriedly started talking about the escape plan Belinda had come up with. Fang was just listening to his girlfriend go on and on. She used to do that. Talk and talk and talk. Back then, that was still somewhat cute. Annoying, but cute.

When Max stopped talking _finally_, Fang decided to tune back in. For some reason though, Belinda wasn't talking. Max asked what was wrong before Belinda got down on her knees in front of Fang. Max and Fang were chained too far away from each other to be of any help to one another. Good planning, Fang supposed.

Belinda said something about how hot Fang was and how he didn't deserve to be wasted on Max. How she could get him out, if only he did what she wanted. God, if Iggy had been there they'd have something to talk about for awhile. Again, they were still boys back then. That was major wet dream material. Fang almost thought that it was a joke and glanced behind Belinda, at Max. She was just sitting there, frowning.

"_Come on, Fang, don't you want to play?"_ Belinda had said that as she began to unbutton her shirt. Fang chilled for a moment. After all, seeing a boob or two wouldn't kill anybody. After a shirt was off though and she reached out for him, Fang reacted.

"_Knock it off,"_ he had said, kicking at her. She got a blow in the stomach, sending her back. That stopped her. Then she was gone, leaving them alone. She came back a few days later, with a guard, who took Fang to one of the labs, where he was strapped down. Of course he resisted because, even without Max, it was still wrong. He couldn't do anything. He could never do anything. It was like he had to take blow to blow to his pride. It was bad enough when Max was getting raped, but now he was? What the fuck? Guys don't get raped. They just don't.

So where did that leave him?

* * *

With Hector gone, Max was fair game. Fang couldn't protect her, as he was quickly chained to the wall again. Needless to say, Max spent most of her days outside of the cell, with the care of their guards. Fang tried to get as much sleep as possible, but it was hard. Mainly because with Hector gone, Fang was also fair game.

It wasn't right, the way that Belinda would just wait for him to be chained before doing something. To get what she wanted, the leg chains had to come back, which sucked. Then, hanging from the wall, he could only watch as she blew him. What kind of perverse world was this? What woman _wanted_ _to_ _give_ a blow job? Receiving nothing in return? And what kind of world was it where Fang couldn't even enjoy the one gift God gave him because Max was still around. The guilt from the fact that he secretly liked the things that were done to him ate at his heart.

"Who unchained you?" Max asked as she laid down on the ground. She had just been brought back in, though someone just threw her in. Fang shook his head a little, getting up to go over to her. "Belinda?"

"Nah. She had me double chained, feet too." He frowned when he realized Max knew what that meant. She just looked away. Sitting down next to her, Fang held up a bowl, giving Max water.

"Your cough hasn't been that bad recently."

"Medicine. Hector's made sure that I've gotten medicine for it."

"How nice of him," Fang said dryly, but Max just shook her head. Holding the bowl back to her lips, he forced her to drink some more. "Is he back?"

"Tomorrow, someone told me. He wants…He has something new, from another building in different state."

"New?"

"Some sort of liquid that I have to take. It'll make me…stronger, I think."

Fang nodded slightly, moving to drink a little from the bowl too. "Good. Stronger. Good."

Max moved away from him, laying down on Hector's coat. "I wanna be strong again. Huh? You too?"

Fang nodded a little bit. Strong. If they were both strong again, they could escape. He voiced this to Max, but she just laughed at him, her eyes slipping shut.

"Escape, Fang?" She settled for one of her many naps of the day. "What would we do out there now? We're not normal. We wouldn't survive."

"I'd get us help."

"Help what?" Max had a coughing fit, but Fang didn't move to give her any of the water. When she was done, she just settled again. "I don't want to get out. I want to die."

"And what about me? What about all the times I wasted my chance to get away because I was trying to save your ass? Huh?"

"Don't yell."

"I'm going to fucking yell, Max! Thanks to you, I'm here. You know that? I came back for you. I loved you. And now you've screwed me over. I never get to be free because of you? Huh? Stupid whore."

Max just cuddled into Hector's coat, ignoring him as she fell asleep, lost in her own little world. Fang tossed the water dish to the ground, narrowly missing her. Still not moving, Max began to breathing softly, clearly dreaming.

Fang went over to his wall, leaning against it. When did Max give up? Why? He tried so hard, he honestly did. He wanted to get her out of here, but this whole time she was only holding him back. To free himself, would Fang have to leave Max behind? And if so, _could_ he leave her behind?

* * *

Fang didn't have to deal with Max again nor did he want to. She was still sleeping when he was taken, but not by Belinda. He was taken to the track, where he was forced to run laps. He saw random other experiments running their laps, some collapsing to the ground and dying. Fang ignored them. Max didn't have to run laps. Ever. He forced himself to focus at the task he was currently doing. Afterwards, he puked up some blood before being drug to a lab.

"Ah, XK429. It's been a long time, no?"

Must have been. Fang had no idea who the guy was. At the moment the only thing he could focus on was the fact that he could still taste the blood in his mouth. Then the cutting started. The doctor were messing with the slits down his sides again, but this time, it was without the sedatives. Oh Fang was in pain. At least that distracted him from thinking about Max. Now that he was on the subject though…

It would be much easier to get out on his own. And it wasn't his fault that Max had given up. It honestly wasn't. How many beatings had he taken for her? How many times did he get cut for her? If anything, she owed it to him to help out. But she didn't. She just moped around, like Fang wasn't going through the same shit she was. It was so annoying, how self-loathing Max was. Everything little thing sent her over the edge these days. She couldn't do crap for herself. Her precious Hector did it for her. He did everything for her. For all Fang knew, Max probably _liked_ what Hector did to her.

_Just like I like what Belinda does. _

Fang was brought back to the problem at hand as the doctor sliced too deep, cutting a vain. He gritted his teeth as the blood flowed, willing himself to not yell. Thinking about something else was the only thing to keep his mind off what was going on.

He remembered the day before Angel got taken. He and Max had gone out on one of their dates. Which really wasn't a date, because the others had to come along, but it was close enough. They sat a booth alone at the fast food place, which obviously made it a date. He could still hear (and smell) the Gasman's farts, Iggy's inappropriate jokes, Nudge's gossip, and Angel playing with Celeste. He hated it at the time, but he'd give anything to go back to that day.

When he finally got back, he was promptly chained, as he noticed Max was also. As per usual, she was laying on the ground still and he assumed that she was sleeping. However, she no longer had Hector's jacket, which either meant someone stole it or Hector had come back for it. After hanging in silence for awhile, Fang called over to her.

"Max. Hey, Max. Get up. I'm talking."

"Go fuck yourself."

Ooh, he'd hit a nerve. Fang frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

Max sat up a little then, lifting up her shirt slowly. Someone had carved into her skin, taking their pain out on her.

"The stuff to make me stronger made me vomit. All over Hector. This is what he did to me."

Fang pulled against his chains, but what was the point? Max didn't care anymore, right? Why should he care if she got hurt?

"The bastard," Fang whispered as Max laid back down. "Are you okay?"

Max laughed dryly. Apparently the medicine had fixed her in some way. Maybe not made her stronger, but made her more lucid. "Why do you care, Fang? I fucked you over."

"Max, don't play my words back on me. I didn't mean any of that."

"I did though." She closed her eyes, her voice getting softer again. Fang stared at her lips to know what she said next. "I want to die. If you loved me at any point in your life, you'd help me. Then you can go, you can get out of here."

If he loved her? _If_? What had these past few years been, if not love? His breathing was picking up and he was holding down a string of curses. If. If. If he had loved her. As if he didn't currently. Stupid Max.

Fang breathed out slowly, but didn't say anything to her. It didn't matter as Max fell back asleep. He watched her for awhile before following suit.


	4. Chapter 4

Bound

Chapter 4

Fang's shoulder was killing him. After his fight with Max, Fang got into a physical fight with a guard when they came to get him for testing. As Fang was so weak now, that only resulted in him being slammed up against a wall multiple times. It felt like his shoulder was on fire.

Now, he was strapped onto a gurney, falling in and out of consciousness. Belinda had been there previously, but now she was gone now, after blowing him again. Some guy was in here now, doing some sort of surgery on him. Fang ignored his pain to the best of his ability, but it was hard. He had been getting so weak recently.

The next time he was in his cell, Max was there, but he walked in at a very bad time.

"Great," his guard mumbled as Fang was lifted and chained. "Nice. Puke your fucking brains out."

Max retched again, completely miserable. Fang forced himself not to look, if only because he would feel compelled to worry about her. If Max didn't care for his needs, why should Fang care for hers?

"Must be that medication they have you on," the scientist that followed Fang in mumbled to Max. "Though, you have been puking up most things these days.

"She has a virus," Fang finally said, fed up with listening to the other guy speak. "Don't you damn scientists share that stuff with each other? She's not getting any better either. She's fucking sick. Fix her."

Fang felt Max's eyes on him, but still wouldn't look at her. The guard gave Fang a sharp hook to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Then the other two people were gone, leaving Max with Fang.

"You okay over there?" That was his customary line when pertaining to Max's wellbeing. It was so cold these days, the way he said it. Max nodded numbly, collapsing to the ground next to her own vomit. Fang finally looked at her now that she would have no idea, taking a few moments to stare at his, well, his Max. There were really no other words to describe her now.

"Where's Hector, huh? Shouldn't he be giving you something for your puking?"

Max didn't answer, which only pissed Fang off. What? She didn't want to talk to him? Fine. He didn't want to talk to her.

Being in and out of consciousness, Max hardly heard Fang two hours later when he called out for her to get him water. Eventually she did get up and hold one of the water bowls to his lips. Fang was worried that she would vomit on him, but she seemed to have nothing left in her stomach.

"Thank you," Fang mumbled as Max removed the bowl from his lips. Then she just sat there on her knees, staring up at him. "What?"

Still, she just stared, as if memorizing him for a test. Then, without a word, she laid down on the ground, curling into a ball. Fang cleared his throat before spitting on the ground. It was so boring, being on the wall. Hell, it was boring just being here. You had so much time to spend with only your mind that it was almost impossible to not go crazy. Then again, even if Fang did have something productive to do rather than just sit around and think, the torture would probably still contribute to his insanity.

"You know, Max, if you have something to fucking say, it's best if you just say it. You sure were saying enough when you asked me to kill you."

Still, she was silent. Fang spit again, this time his snot coming out with blood.

"You could always just kill yourself, you know. Do it. Come, you coward."

She wouldn't give him the rise that Fang wanted. That only angered him more.

"Come on, Max. Yell at me. Do something! Since apparently I don't love you anymore, right? Right?"

She spoke, but he couldn't see her lips, could only hear some faint whisper.

"What the fuck did you say?"

She sat up suddenly, startling him. It was so easy for Fang to be harsh to her when she was just another nameless woman. Could be Max, could be Belinda, could be anyone. Now though, seeing her face, he couldn't speak.

"I said that I never said that, Fang."

"Hell yeah you did," he said after his voice found him. "That's exactly what you said."

"No."

"Well, it's what you meant!"

"Who are you to tell me what I mean? I don't even know what I mean anymore! I don't know anything. My life is worthless now."

"Then why don't you ever fight back? Why don't you try to get out of here?"

"So what? So I can be out there again? Out in the open, always looking over my shoulder." Max looked at the ground, but she was speaking so loudly now that Fang could hear her without reading her lips. "We can't be normal again, Fang. I couldn't be with you, not after all that's happened. Outside of here, you'd just be another man. I can't…I couldn't trust you. You couldn't trust me. They've bred us to be soulless. Now we are."

He swallowed hard. "I have a soul, Max."

"No, you have a conscience. There's a difference."

"What? What is the difference?"

"The difference is…"

"What?"

She looked up now; she was whispering again, so he relied on his lip reading skills. Taking a deep breath, she started again.

"The difference is, Fang, that you can't let me go. You'd feel guilty. Your soul though, it's gone. The only thing you think about, day and night, is survival. That's no life. We're not living. If we're not living, what are we? We can't live again, so let me just end it. Please."

Fang spit on the ground, but some of it got caught in his teeth. It always amazed him that he still had teeth. He thought that they should have rotted by now.

"I can't. I don't care if you think I'm soulless. I don't care if you think I'm evil. I don't care if you think that I'm fucking raping you half the time. I know what I have to do and that's get us out of here. That's what I came here to do."

Max swallowed. "So it's not about me, then, is it? It's not about my happiness. You don't want to make me happy. You just want to finish mission. If that doesn't scream soulless, what does?"

Fang pulled against chains, but it yielded no results. Max laughed humorlessly at this, making Fang's blood boil.

"Soulless," she told before laying down again. At that moment, Fang could have killed Max. Not for her own wishes and not even for laughing at him, but making him feel so…worthless. The way she spoke…it was like he didn't try hard enough. Like she blamed him. Did she blame him? Probably. After all, he blamed him.

"I hate your guts, Max," he whispered, but she heard it. She looked up at him for a moment, what was once her fallen guardian angel, now hung from his wrists. It would have been even more poetic, had he been hung like Christ, but reality was never that funny.

"Yeah," she whispered, but for some reason he heard it perfectly. "I know."

* * *

Fang didn't see Max again for a long time. After their fight, Hector came for her. Fang was sure that he was taking good care of her. It was kind funny. Hector took good care of Max, even though he raped and beat her. Fang never did anything he wasn't forced to do to her, yet she thought that he was the evil one. It was fucking hilarious.

It hurt his stomach to think about her. He tried his hardest not to. It had been so long, that Fang lost track of the days. He would have thought her dead, maybe even wished it, had he not heard her tag name mentioned in passing between guards. Belinda taunted him with her too. She told him that the reason Max wasn't back was because she had told Hector that she didn't want to come back. Apparently, she was safe and sound in Hector's quarters, kept away from him.

It was for the better, or so Fang told himself. They had spent the past five years or so together. They had both been holding out some sort of hope, but there was no hope. Not here, not now. Not in this forsaken place. Maybe Fang had never loved Max, not here anyways. There could be no love, not without hope. Yes, Max was right, Fang didn't love her anymore. Souls loved. Animals just acted how animals were supposed to. Soulless.

Belinda didn't mess with him much these days. It didn't make sense at first, but then it did. Slowly. Fang remembered those guards talking, about how Belinda would pick a man, keep him for awhile, and then kill him. Slowly, but surely, Belinda had killed him. Now, the nail in the coffin was that Max had chosen Hector, the man who raped and beat her, over him. Fang was dead.

Fang always thought that he was getting the worse treatment he ever could, be he slowly found out that without Hector keeping Max happy by not hurting Fang too badly, he was open game. He took more beatings than he ever had. Where as before, Belinda almost always got Fang, now other people did too. There was no pleasure to be had from that, oh no. None what so ever.

This was his life though now. Where ever Max was, whatever she was doing, wasn't his problem. Not anymore. She had given up, not him. She had decided that they were nothing to each other, not him. She did that. Now she could suffer for it. Fang would get out of here and leave her behind. He'd never come back for her. He'd tell the flock, if he found them, that Max was dead. Because Max was dead. Maximum Ride was dead. That thing that had inhabited her body was just that. A despicable, malevolent thing that only wished for Fang's torment.

* * *

There was blood in his mouth. Fang didn't mind it much. These days, it almost tasted _good_. Ha. Blood. Good. Those never went into the same sentence. Well, almost never. He had bitten down too hard on his cheek, which had started the bleeding. He didn't even mean to do it, but now it was done. Oh well.

It had to have been months without Max now. Fang was no longer being kept in his own room. Oh no. Now, he was being moved around a lot, having to catch sleep where he could. It wasn't fun, but nothing about his life was fun now. Even Belinda had left him alone. From what he'd heard, she'd found a new guy. The guards gave the new guy about six months before he was dead.

Right now, Fang was locked in a room with a woman. She was shorter than Max was, but had about the same complexion. As Max was mixed, he wondered briefly if she was too. It didn't matter much though. She was about to die.

Fang didn't tell her that though. She was stalking around the room, yelling. She was new around here. From what Fang had heard the guards say in passing, she was a trespasser. That only meant one thing.

"I think you'll want to see this," the scientist that came into the room with Fang a few minutes later said, having another guard unchain him. The other had restrained the woman, which wasn't hard.

"I'm just here for my son. You took my son. Give me back my son."

"Shut up," one of the guards ordered her, but the scientist stopped him.

"Let her talk," he said offhandedly. "Get stuff off her chest before it's over, ya know?"

Fang moved along silently, wishing that he didn't have to witness what was coming. He had before and it wasn't fun.

They came to a room, where the woman was forcibly strapped down to a operating table. Fang was chained to a chair, watching silently as the guards took their place by the door. The younger of the guards, the one that had taken the woman, was visibly ill at the thought of what was going to happen. The woman, still oblivious, was crying.

"It'll all be over soon. Maybe too soon," the scientist told her as he pulled out a knife. Her screams were deafening, though Fang's hearing was already shot anyways. It didn't matter much. He turned his head as she was carved up. Not because it made him sick to look at, but because it made him sick to think about how he didn't feel sick. He really was soulless. Wow.

A cage was brought in. It held some sort of reptile experiment. Fang couldn't help but watch as the butchered woman's bleeding flesh was shaved to feed the beast. This was the worse part. This did cause him feeling. None of it showed on his face though. Wherever Max was, at least she was still making sure that this didn't happen to him.

* * *

Sometimes Fang thought about what it would be like to be dead. He wasn't much of a spiritual believer, but he hoped that if God was real, he'd overlook that, if only due to the shitty life he had dealt him. And it wasn't like Fang was an out right atheist either. He was pretty damn open, if you asked him. As long as he didn't come back as a cockroach, he was up for anything.

He wondered sometimes, though, that if ghosts were real, if he'd be doomed to haunt this place. Some said that ghost walk the place of their death, but Fang had also heard that it was the most traumatic place that held them. He wasn't sure which, but if it was the latter, there was always the chance that it would be his old school he was condemned to. Where he met Max and Ig…Man he missed Iggy. He missed the way that they could just be alone and talk about shit he never could with anyone else. Like girls and stuff. Girls. Ha. Fang found that he didn't have much enjoyment of those anymore. Belinda had ruined him on that.

He missed the others too though. He missed Nudge's talking. True, most of the time he had just tuned her out, but sometimes, when they were alone, he'd sometimes actually talk to her. She wasn't a complete boy crazy idiot either. She was actually pretty damn philosophical when you listened to her, rambling all. She told once that she was actually glad for everything they had gone through together, back when they were in the School and even after when they were fighting for their lives. When he asked why, she told him that it just made it that much easier to let go. That she knew that they couldn't be together forever, the whole flock. Eventually, they'd all go their separate ways, but she'd be able to reason that together, all they had felt was pain anyways, and be able to move on. Fang tried to rely on that now, but it seemed to be failing for him.

He missed the younger two too. As much as he hated to admit it back then, Gazzy was pretty funny. He made him laugh, if not outwardly then inwardly. And Angel…man, if she wasn't stronger than all of them. He loved the two of them, so much more than he thought he ever would. Now, if he ever got out, he was almost afraid to face them, if only because they'd be grown up now, older, more mature. It scared him.

Of course, you could always question his feelings for Total, which were honestly very slim, to say the least. The damn dog. God, if he didn't just want to rip his throat out half the time. Still, as much hate for him as he had, Fang knew that Angel loved the damn thing, so he'd have never hurt him. Plus…Total was kind of funny…in a sardonic kind of way…

Right now, Fang was in a room alone. He wasn't chained, but it wouldn't have mattered if he was or he wasn't. His arms were killing him, his neck felt permanently bent, and his wings practically were begging to be cut off. He'd gladly grant them that wish, had he not needed them to get out of here. Yes, Fang was going to leave. Soon, if he could help it.

Fuck Max.

She had left him. She was getting everything that she deserved. Fang snorted, spitting on the ground for what felt like the millionth time. There was no blood this time, which was a plus, he guessed. How much blood could Fang lose? It seemed that he should have already drained all there was in his body. Of course, he didn't really understand the human body anyways. Did he replenish blood on its own? He hoped so. Wouldn't it suck now, him dying of blood loss? After everything that's happened, him dying would be hilarious. He'd go into his coffin with a smile on his face, if only because that proved there was a God. No way the universe on it's own could be so freaking funny.

Fang finally just laid down the ground, watching the darkness around him. It felt so much colder without Max. No matter if she betrayed him or not, he still wished that she was there right then, if only to keep him warm. Maybe she'd laugh at what he'd thought too. She was, after all, a jokester now, right? Poor Max. Fang closed his eyes, shaking his head a little bit. Poor, poor Max.


End file.
